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| Is the 'gig economy' turning us all into freelancers? | Is the 'gig economy' turning us all into freelancers? |
| (4 days later) | |
| When you're burnt out at work, it's easy to dream of quitting your job and going freelance. | When you're burnt out at work, it's easy to dream of quitting your job and going freelance. |
| Wouldn't it be great to ditch the micro-managing boss, take on exciting new projects whenever you want, and work the hours that suit you? | Wouldn't it be great to ditch the micro-managing boss, take on exciting new projects whenever you want, and work the hours that suit you? |
| Well, thanks to the rise of on-demand talent marketplaces, the so-called "gig economy" is fast becoming a reality. | Well, thanks to the rise of on-demand talent marketplaces, the so-called "gig economy" is fast becoming a reality. |
| Cloud-based platforms are making it easier for firms to find the people they need from a global talent pool, and for freelancers to advertise their skills. | Cloud-based platforms are making it easier for firms to find the people they need from a global talent pool, and for freelancers to advertise their skills. |
| For example, Ying Li Looi-Garman, a freelance video producer based in Singapore, is one of millions of workers worldwide sidestepping traditional recruitment agencies. | For example, Ying Li Looi-Garman, a freelance video producer based in Singapore, is one of millions of workers worldwide sidestepping traditional recruitment agencies. |
| She picks up around four to 10 jobs a month via 90 Seconds, a cloud-based video production platform with a network of over 5,000 freelancers in 70 countries. | She picks up around four to 10 jobs a month via 90 Seconds, a cloud-based video production platform with a network of over 5,000 freelancers in 70 countries. |
| A year after joining, all of Ms Ying's paid work now comes via the platform, where she has a profile page listing her experience and a showreel of her work. | A year after joining, all of Ms Ying's paid work now comes via the platform, where she has a profile page listing her experience and a showreel of her work. |
| "90 Seconds offers flexibility," she says. "I work from home and I can just accept work when I want." | "90 Seconds offers flexibility," she says. "I work from home and I can just accept work when I want." |
| Another advantage, she says, is that all the communication with the client is via one central hub. | Another advantage, she says, is that all the communication with the client is via one central hub. |
| "If there's a new script change or say I've made a video cut, the client gets updated through the platform." | "If there's a new script change or say I've made a video cut, the client gets updated through the platform." |
| 'Uber for local jobs' | 'Uber for local jobs' |
| For companies desperate for flexible workers, these platforms are both convenient and cost-effective. | For companies desperate for flexible workers, these platforms are both convenient and cost-effective. |
| "With millions of experts from all around the world, people can get help with their business within minutes of posting a project," says Matt Barrie, chief executive of Sydney-based Freelancer.com, whose clients include Nasa. | "With millions of experts from all around the world, people can get help with their business within minutes of posting a project," says Matt Barrie, chief executive of Sydney-based Freelancer.com, whose clients include Nasa. |
| "They can scale up or down as needed. It offers flexibility of budget, space and time, and rates that people can afford, with lower overhead expenses." | "They can scale up or down as needed. It offers flexibility of budget, space and time, and rates that people can afford, with lower overhead expenses." |
| Freelancer.com also offers a Local Jobs service which it describes as "Uber for local jobs", allowing companies to find freelancers within a 30-mile (50km) radius, and not just for the typical online work involved in the gig economy, but for location-based tasks, such as deliveries. | Freelancer.com also offers a Local Jobs service which it describes as "Uber for local jobs", allowing companies to find freelancers within a 30-mile (50km) radius, and not just for the typical online work involved in the gig economy, but for location-based tasks, such as deliveries. |
| It is the easy access to specific skills that employers like, says Alex Abelin, chief executive of New York-based LiquidTalent, an on-demand marketplace for designers and developers. | It is the easy access to specific skills that employers like, says Alex Abelin, chief executive of New York-based LiquidTalent, an on-demand marketplace for designers and developers. |
| "Many times, employers don't need full-time support, but rather targeted, objective talent infusion," he says. | "Many times, employers don't need full-time support, but rather targeted, objective talent infusion," he says. |
| "For example, at LiquidTalent, we are working on a six-week intense data project. We have a team of on-site and off-site support to make our data housing and reporting much more secure and visual. | "For example, at LiquidTalent, we are working on a six-week intense data project. We have a team of on-site and off-site support to make our data housing and reporting much more secure and visual. |
| "We don't need to hire this team full-time, but we do need them for six weeks." | "We don't need to hire this team full-time, but we do need them for six weeks." |
| Best of the bunch | Best of the bunch |
| Over in Raleigh, North Carolina, Elijah Windsor sits on both sides of the gig economy. | Over in Raleigh, North Carolina, Elijah Windsor sits on both sides of the gig economy. |
| He finds work as a computer programmer through freelance software and engineering marketplace Toptal. But he also uses the same platform to recruit developers for his own tech start-up, Refined Edge Solutions. | He finds work as a computer programmer through freelance software and engineering marketplace Toptal. But he also uses the same platform to recruit developers for his own tech start-up, Refined Edge Solutions. |
| Toptal is choosy about who it allows onto its platform - only accepting 3% of applicants on average. | Toptal is choosy about who it allows onto its platform - only accepting 3% of applicants on average. |
| "You can create your own work/life balance, choose your clients, and set your own hours," says Mr Windsor. | "You can create your own work/life balance, choose your clients, and set your own hours," says Mr Windsor. |
| "If you only want to work part-time, that's fine, or you could work 80 hours a week if you wanted to. | "If you only want to work part-time, that's fine, or you could work 80 hours a week if you wanted to. |
| "A developer I hired through Toptal recently lives in Germany, but he worked US hours so he could spend time with his family during the day." | "A developer I hired through Toptal recently lives in Germany, but he worked US hours so he could spend time with his family during the day." |
| Mr Windsor also rates the San Francisco-based platform highly for pairing companies with a "matching team" that often includes developers. | Mr Windsor also rates the San Francisco-based platform highly for pairing companies with a "matching team" that often includes developers. |
| "Since they're in the field, they're not just throwing out bait to catch random fish - they know exactly what you're looking for," he says. | "Since they're in the field, they're not just throwing out bait to catch random fish - they know exactly what you're looking for," he says. |
| Eyes on the prize | Eyes on the prize |
| This on-demand economy is also leading to the rise of competition-based marketplaces such as Innocentive, where companies can post tough work challenges for innovators to solve in return for prize money. | This on-demand economy is also leading to the rise of competition-based marketplaces such as Innocentive, where companies can post tough work challenges for innovators to solve in return for prize money. |
| "Our clients get fresh perspectives and a diverse range of creative solutions for their pressing organisational concerns, all in a very cost-effective way," says Innocentive director Greg Eredics. | "Our clients get fresh perspectives and a diverse range of creative solutions for their pressing organisational concerns, all in a very cost-effective way," says Innocentive director Greg Eredics. |
| More features about the Future of Work | More features about the Future of Work |
| "We've had clients solve problems they'd been working on for 15 years in just 60 days with our offering." | "We've had clients solve problems they'd been working on for 15 years in just 60 days with our offering." |
| One of its clients, Italian power utility Enel, has been using the platform since September, and has found solutions to eight problems across areas from renewable energy to operations. | One of its clients, Italian power utility Enel, has been using the platform since September, and has found solutions to eight problems across areas from renewable energy to operations. |
| Enel's chief innovation and sustainability officer, Ernesto Ciorra, says the approach helps the company find the right people at the right time and improves "the speed of the innovation process". | Enel's chief innovation and sustainability officer, Ernesto Ciorra, says the approach helps the company find the right people at the right time and improves "the speed of the innovation process". |
| But what are the risks of hiring people on the hoof? | But what are the risks of hiring people on the hoof? |
| "You might want to validate who the freelancer says they are and what qualifications and experience they have," warns Anne-Marie Malley, UK human capital leader at consultancy firm Deloitte. | |
| "You should also be careful around what data you share because that person is not a full-time employee - they could be working with your competitors the following week. | "You should also be careful around what data you share because that person is not a full-time employee - they could be working with your competitors the following week. |
| "You need to be thoughtful as to where and how you share high-risk data." | "You need to be thoughtful as to where and how you share high-risk data." |
| Growing market | Growing market |
| Such concerns aside, the gig economy is clearly booming and set for rapid growth. | Such concerns aside, the gig economy is clearly booming and set for rapid growth. |
| In the UK, the number of self-employed people has risen to nearly five million, approaching the number who work in the public sector. And in the US, around 54 million people are now freelance, roughly a third of all workers. | In the UK, the number of self-employed people has risen to nearly five million, approaching the number who work in the public sector. And in the US, around 54 million people are now freelance, roughly a third of all workers. |
| PeoplePerHour, an online freelance marketplace, forecasts that one in two people in the US and the UK will be freelance by 2020. | PeoplePerHour, an online freelance marketplace, forecasts that one in two people in the US and the UK will be freelance by 2020. |
| And the market for gig economy platforms and related services will be worth almost $63bn (£43bn; €56bn) globally by 2020, forecasts consultancy PwC. In 2014, this global market was valued at $10bn. | And the market for gig economy platforms and related services will be worth almost $63bn (£43bn; €56bn) globally by 2020, forecasts consultancy PwC. In 2014, this global market was valued at $10bn. |
| "The gig economy will also... see more professionals in sales, marketing, finance and law adopting a gig-economy mentality, not just the usual suspects of software development or event planning," says LiquidTalent's Mr Abelin. | "The gig economy will also... see more professionals in sales, marketing, finance and law adopting a gig-economy mentality, not just the usual suspects of software development or event planning," says LiquidTalent's Mr Abelin. |
| "This trend affects us all and it's just getting started." | "This trend affects us all and it's just getting started." |
| Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter @matthew_wall | Follow Technology of Business editor Matthew Wall on Twitter @matthew_wall |
| Click here for more Technology of Business features | Click here for more Technology of Business features |
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